Machine for use in handling blanks



'Sept. 15,1925. j 1,553,355

L. J. BAZZONI MACHINE F'OR USE IN HANDLING BLANKS Patented Sept. 15, V1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS J. BAZZONI, F SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE-MACHINERY CORPORATION,

JERSEY.

OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW MACHINE FOR USE INHANDLING BLANKS.

Application filed March 31, 1919. Serial No. 286,615.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWISJ. BAZZONI, a citizen of the United States,residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Use inHandling Blanks, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like referonce characterson the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for use in handling blanks and isherein illustrated as embodied in a machine for use in handling uppersof shoes.

It is customary in some shoe factories to tie the uppers in bundles of agiven number--commonly thirty-six-after they have been finished by thevamper preparatory to taking them to the assembler. Hitherto the vamperhas been accustomed to pile the finished blanks one by'one beside her onthe bench which supports her sewing machine as fast as she has finishedthem and then to tie them in bundles of the required number.

Inasmuch, however, as it isdiflicult for her to keep track at all timesof the number of finished uppers in the pile, she almost invariablyrecounts them before tying them up. In fact, the partly completed pilesare often counted several times at different stages owing tointerruptions in the work of the operator which causeher to forget howmany uppers the piles contain.

One object of this invention is to relieve the operator of the necessityof counting the blanks which are being handled, thus avoiding inaccuracyand insuring against interruption and delay in the progress of the worksuch as that resulting more or less frequently from necessary recountingof the blanks.

WVith this object in view, one'feature of the invention consists in theprovision of a support constructed and arranged to sink as blanks arepiled upon it one by one, an indicator, and means independent of thesupport and arranged to be actuated by the blanks as theyare movedtoward the pile for operating the indicator. In the illustrative machinethe support is vertically movable and balanced so that it may graduallysink as the pile 'of blanks increases. This support is placed at theside of the vamper and has overhanging it an end of an actuator in theform of a lever, downward movement of the overhanging end of whichoperates the indicator With such a construction the vamper, by wipingeach upper across the end of the lever as the upper is being placed uponthe pile, operates the indicator which will then show at any time justhow many blanks the pile contains.

Uppers of shoes are bulky and do not lend themselves readily to theformation of a stable pile. According to another feature of theinvention there is provided a presser which normally rests upon the topof the pile but is withdrawn when the actuator is moved. In theillustrative machine the presser is connected with the actuator, bothmembers being held in their normal positions by means of a weight. Whenthe actuator is moved by engagement with a moving blank in the hand ofthe operator, the presser is withdrawn from the pile to permit the blankto be added to the pile. By this time the actuator has been released,and the presser is returned by the action of the weight to engagementwith the top of the pile.

These and other features of the invention, including certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, will be described as embodied inan illustrative machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying draw- 1ngs,

Fig. l is a perspective of a machine in which the present invention isembodied;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section showing the actuator depressed and the presserwithdrawn from the pile, and

Fig. 3 is a cross-section showing the actuator and the presser in theirnormal positions. In this figure a partly finished pile of uppers isalso shown.

The machine may conveniently be mounted upon a bench 5 at the side ofthe vamper, the bench being the same one upon which the sewing machine(not shown) of the manipulation of the actuator for moving the presser.

5. A machine for use in handling blanks, having in combination, asupport upon which blanks may be piled, a presser normally in positionadjacent the support, an actuator therefor, means responsive to movementof the actuator for moving the presser away from the support, and meansoperating when the actuator isreleased to return the actuator and thepresser to their normal positions.

6. A machine for use in handling blanks, having in combination, asupport upon which blanks may be piled, a presser capable of beingwithdrawn from and returned to engagement with the pile, and an actuatorarranged to be engaged by a blank as: it is being added to the pile foroperating the presser to permit the addition of the blank and to hold itafter it has been added.

7. A machine for use in handling blanks, having in combination, amovable support upon which blanks may be piled, a presser normally inengagement with the pile, an

actuator, and means whereby movement of the actuator in one directionwithdraws the presser from the pile and in the other direction returnsthe presser to engagement with the pile.

8. A machine for use in handling blanks, having in combination, amovable support upon which blanks may be piled, a presser normally inengagement with the pile, an

actuator, and means whereby movement of the actuator in one directionwithdraws the presser from the pile and release of the actuaton permitsreturn of the presser to engagement with the pile.

9. A machine for use in handling blanks, having in combination, asupport on which blanks may be piled, a presser normally in positionadjacent the support, an actuator therefor normally in a position moreremote from the support than is the presser, and means responsive tomovement of the actuator toward the support for moving the presser awayfrom it.

10. A machine for use in handling blanks, having in combination, asupport on which blanks may be piled, said support being movable andbalanced so that the top of the pile may remain always approximately inthe same plane as blanks are added to it, a presser normally in positionadjacent the support, an actuator therefor normally in a position moreremote from the support than is the presser, and means responsive tomovement of the actuator toward the support for moving the presser awayfrom it.

11. A machine for use in handling blanks, having in combination, asupport upon Which blanks may be piled, an actuator arranged normally inposition to be engaged and moved by each blank as it is being placedupon the support, means for returning the actuator to its normalposition when its engagement with the blank ceases, a presser normallyheld in contact with the pile, and connecting means between the presserand the actuator constructed and arranged to withdraw the presser topermit each blank to be added to the pile, and then to return thepresser to normal position.

12. A machine for use in handling blanks,

having in combination, a vertically-movable, balanced support upon whichblanks may be piled, a presser movable into and out of engagement withthe pile, an indicator, and means pivo-tally connected to the. presserfor opearting the indicator.

13. machine for use in handling blanks, having in combination, a supportupon which blanks may be piled and counted, an actuator arranged to beengaged by each blank as it is being placed upon the support, a presser,and means responsive to movement of the actuator for moving the presserand counting the blanks.

14. A machine for use in handling blanks having, in combination, a.balanced support constructed and arranged to descend as blanks are piledupon it one by one, an actuator adapted to be engaged and moved by eachblank as it is being added to the pile, a presser adapted to engage theuppermost blank in the pile, connecting means between the presser andthe actuator constructed and arranged to withdraw the presser when theactuator is moved by a blank to permit the blank to be added to thepile, a fixed stop operating through said connecting means to determinethe normal position of the actuator and the presser, and a weightoperating through said connecting means to return the actuator and thepresser to their respective normal positions after each blank has beenadded to the pile.

15. A machine for use in handling blanks, having in combination, asupport upon which blanks may be piled and counted, an actuator arrangednorm-ally in position to be engaged and moved by each blank as it isbeing added to the pile, means for re turning the actuator to its normalposition when its engagement with the blank ceases, a presser normallyheld in contact with the pile, and connecting means between the presserand the actuator constructed and arranged to withdraw the presser topermit each blank to be added to the pile and then to return the presserto normal position.

16. A machine for use in handling blanks, having in combination, abalanced support constructed and arranged to sink as blanks are piledupon it one by one, an actuator arranged normally in position to beengaged and moved by each blank as it is being added to the pile, meansfor returning the actuator to its normal position when its engagementWiththe blank ceases, a resser nor"- which blanks may Be piled, a resser11 10 mally held in rc'on'tact Witlfrthe' pile, and conmally inpositionto engage a blank pl'aeed n'ecti-ng means between'th'epres'serand the upon the support, and means controlled by actuator constructedand arranged to withthe" mqvement of a blank which, is being d'raw thepressrtopermi t eachblzmk. to be placed upon thesupport for moving theadded to the pile angl then to return the presser away from the su port;15 Presser to normal position. In" testimony whereof have signed:- my

1-7. A machine for use in handling. bl'anks', name to thisspeclficatibn. having, in combination, at support upon LEWIS J .BAZZONIL

